Athens Metro: Challenges, Delays, and the Road Ahead

12:56 10/2/2025 - Πηγή: Dikaiologitika

As the Athens Metro continues its expansion, authorities are navigating complex challenges, balancing urgent transportation needs with financial constraints.

The ongoing construction of Line 4 is a significant step forward, but future expansions remain uncertain due to prioritization issues and funding hurdles.

Once completed, the Athens Metro will feature

six lines and 110 stations, with Line 4 expected to be operational by the end of the decade. However, as Athens' population and urban landscape evolve, additional extensions will be critical to ensuring efficient mobility across the metropolitan area.

Critical Expansions and DelaysOne of the most pressing projects is the extension of Line 1 from Thisio to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), a key government commitment. Estimated at over €400 million, this extension will introduce new stations at Chamosternas, Platia Davaki, Filaretos Hill, and SNFCC, serving a population of 85,835 residents and 25,655 workers. Feasibility studies are expected to take at least two years before construction can begin.

Meanwhile, the expansion of Line 2 to the western suburbs—Palatiani, Ilion, and Agios Nikolaos—remains stalled. The €682 million project has attracted interest from leading construction firms, yet corporate restructuring and a lack of secured funding have hindered progress, delaying the next phase of bidding.

A more immediate priority is the southward extension of Line 2 from Hellinikon to Glyfada. This 4.4-kilometer addition, estimated at €400 million, would benefit 25,177 residents and 4,788 jobs, improving connectivity in a rapidly developing area. Another proposed expansion would extend Line 2 to the planned Government Park at the former PYRKAL site in Dafni, facilitating transit access for 14,000 government employees.

Future Expansions: Line 4 and BeyondLooking ahead to the 2030s, further extensions of Line 4 are planned to enhance connectivity across Athens. The western expansion will introduce six new stations in Nea Ionia, Pefkakia, Nea Filadelfeia, Pyrgos Vasilissis, Ilion, and Petroupoli, improving transit accessibility in densely populated neighborhoods.

The northern expansion of Line 4, estimated at over €1 billion, is particularly crucial in reducing congestion along Kifisias Avenue. This expansion will extend service to key business districts in Marousi and Lykovrysi, with new stations at Katechaki Avenue, Psyhiko, Filothei, Chalandri, the Olympic Stadium, Paradisos Amarousiou, OTE, and Marousi, with future links to Pefki and Lykovrysi.

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